← Return to Excruciating chronic left side neck pain plus lumbar issues

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@donnie0810

Hello, I'm sorry to hear 9f others that share similar issues that I have. Happy to hear that steroid injections help you. Unfortunately injections have not helped me. Ived tried epidural injections under a floroscope & also trigger point injections with no luck. Having CKD also complicates matters for two, 500 mg sustained release naproxen tabs combined with 50 mg Tramadol for flare-ups used to work great. But with CKD...no more Nsaids; therefore I do not have access to inflammation. Have had both MRI & CT's done, combined with x-rays. Pain has radiated to my left shoulder, running underneath left clavicle and down my back a bit underneath rhomboid muscles. It can be extremely intense burning and am experiencing very mild strength loss in my left arm and hand. Have seen 3 Ortho surgeons: one recommended 1 fusion at C3/4, the second recommended 2 disc replacements at C3/4 and c 5/6, and am awaiting 3rd surgeons thoughts & that will come after I take a nerve conduction test along my cervical nerve roots to really nail down which nerve root is the problem child. The pause for the last surgeon I have seen is that he does not like the idea of addressing both 3/4 and 5/6 without touching 4/5. And 4/5 looks good. So any advice would be appreciated.

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Replies to "Hello, I'm sorry to hear 9f others that share similar issues that I have. Happy to..."

I as well have collagenous colitis and primary immunodeficiency (where I don’t make enough antibodies to fight off infections which I have to do plasma infusions every 3 weeks to get antibodies). Therefore I cannot do the drug treatments they offer for inflammation. I don’t want to get hooked on painkillers or take gabupentin with it’s awful side effects. I do take a couple ibuprofen’s at night and alprazolam and melatonin to be able to sleep at night so that’s helped. I know ibuprofen can effect my gut but it’s the lesser of the evils. These medications only limp us along but most don’t cure you and cause other health issues then you have to take more meds. Uggggh. I wish you the best in your journey. I will post again after my Mayo visit. I would recommend anyone with severe issues to go to Mayo or other top notch hospitals as they are way ahead of smaller hospitals and the wait times are way less. They work as a team to look at the whole picture of your health and make appointments while your there with other specialists.